Fun fact: A request for advice on working with staffing clients turned into a 25 year career in the staffing industry! Kathy was helping a friend that owned a staffing franchise and asked for his thoughts on clients that might find her skills valuable. He thought that her skills would be valuable at his franchise to help him scale the business. Although hesitant about fit, she agreed to stay for a few months and hasn’t left the industry since!

Kathy’s enthusiasm and passion for this industry truly shines through as she strives to learn every aspect of the staffing business. It’s refreshing meeting leaders who believe this is what they were “meant to do.” Below Kathy shares more insights from her impressive career in the industry.

What is one of your proudest moments within your staffing career thus far?

In 2001, I was working for a global staffing firm and developed a diversity supply chain network to support large MSPs. As I worked on researching and launching this network, I not only met and worked with remarkable entrepreneurs, but was also fortunate enough to play a part in the growth of their organizations. Most importantly, the friendships I gained from that experience are priceless and have played a huge part in my progression and career decisions over the years.

What is the best advice you have received recently?

I have always been a very positive person and thrive on change. However, as I think about goal-setting and the future, I often spend time wishing for things or thinking about potential obstacles that might stand in the way of achieving my goals. While discussing my personal and professional goals with a dear friend, she advised me that I was going about this in the wrong way. She told me to stop wishing and start projecting the outcome of each goal. “Just put yourself there…goals achieved…concentrate on how to manage and enjoy those achievements.” The outcome was amazing! Once I began to project the changes and milestones necessary to achieve my goals, I was able to focus on other things and just allow things to fall into place. I’ve spent less time trying to determine “how” to reach those goals and more time enjoying the results!

What are you looking forward to next in your career?

I am very fortunate to do the things I really love in this business: rolling out new programs, turning ideas into realities, reaching for expanded growth opportunities and motivating others to reach their highest potential. My career in this business is ever-changing and expanding, and I embrace the growth that accompanies managing this type of change. I’m excited to contribute to the growth of my current organization, as well as opportunities I encounter in the future. I look forward to using my experience to influence positive change within this industry for both staffing organizations and clients. It’s a great time to be in this business!

Are you an industry veteran that’s excited to share your lessons with the next generation of staffing leaders? Share your insights as part of this #womenINstaffing Wednesday series. Contact me to learn more.

Confused on the hashtag (#) in the title of this series? Let me know if you’d like to join a virtual roundtable with a few other female staffing execs to discuss the power of Twitter to build your personal brand.

Leah McKelvey

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